Please excuse ANY errors.

December 25, 1998

~DeVanté's P.O.V~

"Babe?" I whispered in Tia's ear. "Babe?" I whispered again this time kissing her neck. She doesn't sleep heavily so I know that she's probably awake now. "Tia? Wake up." I exhaled and she her eyes fluttered open.

"Hm?" She frowned. "What?"

"It's Christmas mornin'." I whispered. "Merry Christmas!"

"Okay..." She turned her head away from me when I yelled, trying to go back to sleep. "Merry Christmas." She mumbled under her breath.

I leaned on my elbow with my hands together. "Look, babe."

"Yes, Donald?" She wined.

"Damn, with yo mad ass. How you gon' be mad on Christmas mornin'?" I questioned.

"Because I didn't get any sleep and I'm-," she yawned, "tired not mad.: she mumbled tiredly, covering her eyes with the pillow.

"I told your behind to get some sleep," I chuckled, "but look." I pointed at the mistletoe.

Tia move the pillow up a bit to look at me pointing to where I needed her to look. She looked down at herself, then at me.

"Who put that there, bae?" I asked her with a smile.

"You." She laughed looking at the mistletoe sticking out of the front of her underwear. "So... Creative is the word."

"It wasn't me. Maybe Santa wanted us to start the holiday off right?" I said licking my lips.

She turned to me fully. "Maybe Santa fat ass onto somethin'."

I laughed loudly as she sat slightly up against the pillow. "Dang, why he gotta be a fat ass?" I questioned. She rolled her eyes with a smile. "Now you cheesin' hard as hell? What happened to wakin' up grumpy?" I asked her.

"You know I hate being woken up, but you and this..." She muttered with a smaller smile.

"Mmm, I got you." I moved in closer to her attaching my lips to her neck and trailing it to her lips. "Before you ask, my breath don't stank because I brushed my teeth." I chuckled before kissing her lips.

"I can smell it." She mumbled against my lips and we continued kissing.

Still laying on my side, I trailed my kisses away from her lips and slowly kissed down the other side of her neck, then up again. Tia brought my face up back to hers, smashing her lips against mines, making me lean more onto her, but not completely. Damn, okay! Then I felt her hand slide against my clothed crotch, stroking. My breath slightly hitched and my eyes shut as I pulled away from the kiss. Opening my eyes, I grabbed her hand while shaking my head at her.

"No," I whispered to her.

"What's wrong?" She lifted up leaning on her elbows.

"This about you," I replied. "JUST you. Santa did this to you for a reason."

Tia laid back again with her head hitting the pillow. "OUCH!"

I smacked my lips at her. "Now you KNOW that shit ain't hurt," I said laughing.

"How you know?" She asked through laughter.

"Me and you both know that you play too much."

She covered her eyes with her forearm laughing uncontrollably. I scooted down some to be at her level and turned my head so I'm able to kiss her lips. She immediately stopped laughing and dropped her arm from her face kissing me back. I turned my head so that we were eye to eye. Entangling our right hand, I pushed it against the bed and got on top of her halfway.

Placing my knee between her thighs and against her pussy, adding some pressure, I felt it throb against my knee. With my other hand, I tilted her head back and trailed down her neck, constantly switching between kissing and sucking on her skin. I felt her throbbing harder against the top of my knee. I grabbed her left breast, kneading them. With her nipples between my ring and middle fingers, I squeezed it with her whole breast with my hand.

"Mmmm," she moaned out as I trailed down lower to the top of her right breast.

I began to kiss across her chest then down her left breast, releasing it from the top of her bra. I then attached my mouth to it. Tia's back arched up causing her to move against my knee. The throbbing of her pussy slowed down but became more intense. I moved my knee back as I felt her hand squeeze mine. Trailing my kisses across her breast again to the right, but this time creating a different trail.

I let go of her hand and cupped her breast before lifting her bra above her breast. I attached my mouth to her nipple and the moment I did I heard the door hit the wall. I threw the covers over Tia's breast before turning my whole body around to see who the fuck was there.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" Dalvin and Derek shouted.

"Get the hell up, De! We finna start openin'... Presents..." Derek trailed off as my anger built up higher and higher.

They both looked at us, making me turn my head around to Tia and she hurriedly closed her legs in shock, holding the blanket over her naked breasts. Before she did, I got a glimpse of what they probably got a glimpse of and threw the blanket over the rest of her body.

I immediately started yelling at them, pissed as fuck. "WHAT THE FUCK IS Y'ALL DOIN'!? LEARN HOW TO FUCKIN' KNOCK!"

"We sorry. Imma just... We just gon'...go." Dalvin pointed to the door before walking to it to grab it.

"Sorry," Derek replied just before Dalvin closed the door, I then heard this nigga talking on the other side of the door. "I GOTTA try that shit!"

"AYO, GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY SHIT!" I yelled, jumping up out of the bed and going to the door.

Infuriated, I snatched it open to see them both going down the stairs, then closed the door and turn around. Catching movement in my peripheral, I looked up to see Tia heading toward the bathroom.

"Babe?" I called out and she turned around with her hands and arms covering her breasts. "You just gon' let them ruin the mood?" I asked her.

I'm only joking, but she most likely can't tell due to my serious tone. She rolled her eyes at me, closing the door and talking in irritation to me and to herself.

"Your brothers saw me half naked and you talkin' 'bout mood?" I heard her say.

I walked to the door laughing and knocking. "It's a joke, sourpuss!"

"Suck my ass. This ain't no time to be jokin'! Your BROTHERS saw me half naked, Donald!"

"I KNOW, Tia." I backed up.

Once the back of my legs hit the bed, I plopped down on the bed, irritated all over again. Why the fuck they didn't THINK to knock!? I mean, I knock EVERY TIME I open up one of their doors because I wouldn't want to barge in on any of them doing something and it's just the respectful thing to fucking do. Then the fact that they DEFINITELY saw her breasts- well, one of them because I was only halfway on her, unintentionally blocking one. Then they saw her in her panties AND-

"You were the last to come inside and you didn't even lock the door like you should have!" She yelled so I could hear, sounding further away than before.

With my hand rubbing up my face, I exhaled. "I know, babe!" I replied. "I know. I just forgot." I spoke aloud to myself resting my arms on my knees.

I heard the door open then close and saw her feet coming my way. Tia plopped on the bed, exhaling.

"I'm sorry for taking it out on you." She spoke. "All except the part about locking the door, but my delivery wasn't the best, and I'm sorry. I'm just upset at the situation."

I turned to her, shaking my head noticing her different attire. "I'm pissed too. Them niggas should've knocked on that fuckin' door. Like who the fuck- ESPECIALLY knowin' that you would be in here too!?" I motioned to the floor for no particular reason. "They don't know what the fuck you wear to bed! You could've been naked!"

"Basically, I was," Tia replied.

"I know, but that shit ain't seem to CLICK in they damn heads!" I said putting my fingers to my head. "You know what I'm sayin'?"

Tia nodded. "This time, yes."

I finally looked up at her face and smiled because I didn't have it in me to laugh due to how pissed off I am. "This time, yes." I mocked. "Don't pretend like I just be sayin' anything and don't know what the hell I be talkin' about."

"You said it, not I, DeGrate." She chuckled.

"Maybe we should go downstairs now, Andrews," I suggested.

"No, HELL nah!" She shook her head. "Again, your brothers just saw me half naked like seven minutes ago and you want me to go downstairs and look both of them in the eyes? No. I'm not about to feel humiliated. Not doin' it." She shook her head once more.

"Our parents will suspect somethin' or be wonderin' where we are. Hell, they probably waiting on everybody to get downstairs to start opening up presents." I told her. "You think they came up here by themselves? No, they was most likely sent up here." I told her.

"As loud as you were yelling, I'm sure they KNOW what went on." She replied.

"All I screamed was for them to knock. They wouldn't know unless they told and if they say some shit, we would probably hear somebody goin' off. They probably just thought I was pissed that they barged in while I was sleeping." I said laying back, biting my thumbnail. "We could just stay up here though if you don't wanna go down there. I understand."

"No, I said that I am not going downstairs. You can if you want, babe. At the moment, I'm just not. In fact, I'm about to lay my ass back down and go to sleep. Don't worry about me."

"If you stayin' up here, then so am I. Ion wants you walkin' that walk of shame by yourself when it's my own damn kin. Everybody's mind is still fresh and I'm not sure what was seen. I could use some more sleep anyway. Maybe I'll be a little less upset about this shit." I replied.

"You sure? Because I don't want you to stop your fun with everyone at my expense. I want you to enjoy yourself." She told me.

"No, no, no, no, no." I told her, sitting up. "Me goin' down there right now and seein' them will bring me RIGHT back to the moment they walked in and get too pissed. Maybe a nap will help with how I will react whenever I do see them niggas."

"Your brothers, but okay." She said taking off our shirt, then getting under the covers.

"I know, Sherlock." I laughed standing up and walking away.

"Now what are you doing?" She asked me.

I turn my head off just enough to look at her. "Lockin' the door."

She laughed while covering her face with the covers. I locked the door and began making my way back to the bed.

"Look, I know what you thinkin' and I agree." I chuckled.

"Yeah? Well, I'm glad you do." She said rearranging the covers to where it's over her eyes but off of her nose and lips.

I laid down beside her and turned off the lamp on the nightstand. The sun is definitely beginning to rise. After about ten minutes, I saw that Tia's breathing steadied indicating that she was asleep. What a fucking way to start Christmas day off instead of how I intended for it to start. All because I didn't lock the door and my brother did not knock. Even though I'm not sleepy, I began to doze off. Eventually falling asleep. I was awakened by the babbling of a baby and toddlers all in my face.

"Wake UUPPPP!" I heard DJ and Masir yell in my face. "Waaaakkkkke UUPPPP!" They screamed in sync as if they rehearsed this shit.

"Tell him again," Tia told them.

I opened my eyes as much as the crust on my eyelashes and the crack of my eyes would allow me to. I saw them two and Asiri and smiled for a quick second before shutting my eyes. Turning my whole body over as well as all three kids, slamming them on the bed. The room filled with their laughter and eventually, I broke character too laughing. I opened my eyes and saw Tia grabbing Asiri.

"Who said you can wake me up the way y'all did?" I questioned.

"Me!" Masir shouted.

"No, ME!" DJ hit his own chest as she spoke.

"I'm gon ask y'all one mo' 'gain. Who told y'all to wake me up like that?" I asked them and they know I'm playing with them due to my voice.

"Me! DJ!" DJ yelled.

"No, me!" Masir spoke.

"No! Me, nigga!" DJ shouted.

Tia and I looked at each other somewhat surprised at DJ and we both wanted to laugh.

"Don't say that word," I told DJ. "You ain't in trouble or nothin', but don't say that. I know you hear me and a few other people use it, but you are not supposed to. Understand?" I said looking directly at DJ.

"Yes, sir." He nodded.

"And you too for future references." I turned to Masir and he looked at me confused. "Just don't say it," I said in much simpler words. "Y'all open some presents yet?" I asked them.

"No!" DJ jumped out of bed, taking my whole arm with him, pulling on me.

Tia spoke up, "They just woke up not too long ago. They decided not to wake up these cranky toddlers and let them wake up naturally."

"What time is it?" I said really asking myself as my eyes darted to the clock that currently reads 7:47. "Dang, that nap wasn't long at all. My brothers was down there?"

"Not that I know of."

"I'm right here!" DJ shouted still pulling on me. "Get up."

"Parents and grandparents are downstairs though. I was told by Ashari. I ain't even wanna go down there."

"Where they at then?" I asked her.

Tia closed her eyes, putting her fingers to her forehead, holding the baby with her other arm. "Oh, I forgot. I'm not telepathic."

I rolled my eyes at her then turned to DJ. "Would you please stop pullin' on me?"

"Santa said hurry!" DJ made up right there on the spot.

"You said that. Lie on Santa and he might just take those presents back to the... North... South... Pole?" I said not sure what it is.

"NOOOO!" DJ ran out of the room and Masir followed behind him.

"North is cold, south is colder. That's how you remember." Tia chuckled. "Although, they might both be too cold for you. That's why you're so confused."

"North Pole." I corrected myself. "He knew what I meant. Can you hand me my pants?"

"You took off your pants?" She questioned handing them to me.

"What are you- my pants were off the first time we went to sleep. How you do not remember when you were over here feelin' me up? You good?" I raised my eyebrows at her.

She rolled her eyes with a smile. "Now I do, but I didn't at first. Can you grab my laptop?"

"For what?" I questioned.

"You gotta question everything, huh? Just get it please, I go the baby and I don't wanna drop it down the stairs. You know how she be movin' all the time."

Finally getting out of bed, I pulled my pants over my legs and waist before speaking. "Yes, madame."

"The charger too just in case." She told me.

"Damn, what else do you want me to grab?" I said playing around.

"Your you know what and shove it up you're you know where." She smiled and then walked out.

"You must want me to do that to you!" I yelled out of the door and saw her middle finger go up at me as she walked down the stairs. "I knew it!"

I heard her laughing and I shook my head laughing with her. Okay, that shit is nasty, but we're both just fucking around like always. I walked into her room making sure to grab her laptop and charger before looking at the stairs and then taking the elevator down. I refuse to walk down all them damn steps. Shit, I'm not Sylvester Stallone and I damn sure ain't training to be on Rocky. Stepping off the elevator, I made it straight to the living room where everyone else is. The kids are already ripping open their gifts, throwing the wrap behind them.

"Don't get too excited. It's just broccoli." I spoke laughing.

Masir folded his arms in a fit and Dery replied with a, "HaHAHA, very funny uncle De... Or not..."

Everybody laughed at his little comeback. "Okay, uncle De taught you well with the comebacks."

"You did not," Andre replied to me. "You didn't give me a Christmas gift. Where's my Christmas gift uncle De?"

"Teachin' you those comebacks. Now you're better than ever. Merry Christmas." I smiled patting his shoulder. "You're welcome."

"No, thank you. Just to let you know, that's not what REAL uncles do. That's wack." He replied to me with a deep frown.

"You know ya uncle just playin' and you know he gave you somethin', but that don't means that he got to do that. Don't try and school nobody on what REAL uncle's do." Derek replied.

"If you look under the tree and stop assuming like yo pops and Uncle Dalvin then you would see. I know you can't read all that good yet, but you should know how to spell your name." I chuckled. "It might be in the back." I pointed. "You know ya uncle ain't gon' do no stuff like that."

"Don't be ungrateful, Dery," Maria told her son.

"Wow! Apple!" Masir said amazed.

"Thank you," Darnell said looking under the tree for his gift. "I hope you know me as you say you do."

"You got more at my house, I only brought one with us due to the LADIES over-packing. Blame your moms, grandma, great-grandma, and Tia." I smiled.

"Bite me," Tia mumbled with squinted eyes, basically telling me to kiss her ass and/or fuck off.

"You first," I replied.

Seems like Tia took that shit literally because the next thing to know she was leaning in closer to my face like she was about to bite me. Instead, she pecked my lips, but because I thought she was about to bite me, I moved my head back some.

"What is wrong with you?" Tia asked me.

"I thought you was really finna bite me," I replied laughing then kissed her lips and she pulled away.

Looking away from me to my father with pursed with, then back to me again, she laughed under her breath. "Then he'll really be mad."

"He gon' think I'll of you regardless of what you do." I shook my head at her. "You need to stop worrying about him."

"Besides, I don't want to bite you, I wanted to kiss you."

"From how quick you pulled away, it ain't seem like it, but a'ight." I nodded.

Tia threw her head back. "You know dang well we got all these parents, grand and great-grandparents here."

"And? They kiss in front of everybody all the damn time and behind closed doors do more than that. That's how we here today." I pointed it out, but not in a literal sense.

"They're also married." She wiggled her eyebrows, then frowned. "And ewww. I know that. Don't make me sick."

"You throwin' me hints or what?" I questioned.

"Not really, I'm just saying that you know how they are about anything physical and close to sexual when it comes to these things. Very religious." She reminded me. "And awkward because- a lot of stuff."

"Derek doesn't seem to be a virgin and he damn sure ain't married." I laughed a little too loud getting some of the other's attention.

I awkwardly gave my best smile even though it was a fake one.

"And don't act like a kid." I then lowered my voice to a small whisper, "you know we done went wayyy past the kissing stage."

"Thank you uncle De. THAT'S how a uncle is supposed to be." Darnell gave me a thumbs up.

"All I get is a thumbs up?" I joked.

He ran to me and gave me a hug. "Thank you."

"You welcome, lil man." I said happily that he was happy with what he received.

"The kids are done, so whose next?" My grandmother asked as gifts were passed around.

"That's a good question, but I got an even better one." My grandfather spoke up.

"And that is?" My mother questioned.

"Everybody still got on their pajamas and it's eight, so ain't nobody wash they ass!?" He asked us.

Laughter began to spread all throughout the room. To be honest, NO, I didn't wash my ass this morning, but I damn sure did before I went to bed. That shower wasn't even ten hours ago and I still smell good. I will definitely take one though.

Tia placed Asiri on the floor and she immediately crawled to her brother. Tia then grabbed her laptop from me. "Thank you."

"Mama wants us to wake up with some Christmas pajamas on and come downstairs like them fake families in the movie as always." Dalvin laughed.

"I don't smell nothin' now, but I hope I don't catch a whiff of HOT ASS when somebody walks past me. If you stank, keep yo ass planted in that seat, and when you get up clean that seat AND that ass." Grandpops told us to be serious.

I couldn't help but laugh. "I suggest Derek keep his chops shut, we all know how that mornin' breath hits!"

"Amen," Maria said low, but loud enough.

Dalvin and Yasir cackled. "Not your girl agreeing talkin' 'bout some Amen," Dalvin spoke through laughter then looked at me. "But DE, YOU the one to speak?"

"Don't start talkin' about each other on this great Christmas mornin' because ALL of y'all are in the same boat. Besides, y'all inherited that God-awful gift from your mother." Dad gestured beside him and my mother pushed him away laughing. "No, it was all me."

"Don't tell that lie, Donald." My mother replied. "That's ALL ya daddy."

"I second that." I laughed. "Not the part about my breath though, just my northers and pops." I clarified.

With her head straight ahead, I saw Tia glancing at me from the corner of her eyes, but she didn't say anything.

"All you gotta do is brush ye teeth RIGHT before bed and you good," Daryl spoke up.

To be honest, NO, I didn't wash my ass this morning, but I damn sure did before I went to bed. That shower wasn't even ten hours ago and I still smell good. I will definitely take one though. However, I DEFINITELY did brush my teeth before I woke Tia up earlier. I care about my woman's health and definitely wasn't about to go down without a clean mouth.

"Ain't nobody gotta go first. That's gon' take too long because it's too many damn people to be doin' that. The kids opened their stuff now everybody else just do the same. Not rocket science." Daryl spoke up.

"You read my mind," I replied as the presents rolled around to us all.

"Redd, do you not know how to work the camera?" Tia asked Redd from the laptop and he didn't reply. "Can you hear?" She asked yet another question and he didn't respond. Tia pressed the end button before jumping up. "Be right back!" She said then quickly ran out of the room.

"She's like a jumping bean." Dalvin chuckled. "Tia forever runnin'."

I sat up. "She does." I agreed.

"In more ways than one," Bianca spoke up.

"We just met you like two seconds again and you just met dude there four seconds ago. You don't know nothin', so please mind ya business." I told her oh so kindly.

"Please." Daryl agreed.

"What you think she got?" Dalvin asked me from not so far away.

"I think she got you some fix a flat for that flat face you got," I told him and Dalvin fell on the floor laughing for some odd reason. He then stood up still laughing and plopped down next to me. "I ain't know I was that funny," I said looking at my brother sideways.

"You not. I was jus- I was just thinkin' that maybe it ain't for me. It's probably for that flat ass you got." He said laughing. "Took brick house to another level. White man, workin' class ass." He laughed.

"Why would I want a big ass?" I asked him and nobody is really paying attention to us because Dalvin is always laughing.

"Aye, women talk about the booty too." He replied.

"Nahh," I shook my head.

"No, for real. Tionne told me that shit. It's true." Dalvin told me. "Don't feel bad. Everybody don't come out lookin' as perfect as me." He exhaled patting my shoulder like he felt sorry for me.

Tilting my head at Dalvin, I replied, "Ion care, but why you had to come all the way over here?"

"Because I'm nosy as fuck. I wanna see what she got you." He replied.

"Oh, I know you're nosy as fuck." I agreed. "That's the truest thing you said all damn day."

Tia entered the room and sat back down in her seat with some earbuds.

"Aye, Tia?" Dalvin called out.

"Yeah?" She turned to him, placing a pillow on her lap.

"You run a lot." He stated.

She looked at him awkwardly. "Okay..."

"Ain't you tired of takin' hits to the chin?" He asked her.

Tia had to think about it before she started cackling. "That ain't right."

"I don't get it..." I trailed off.

"I always knew you were meant to take the short bus." Dalvin shook his head at me.

"Because I don't get the joke?" I asked.

"You know he just be talkin' out the side of his neck." Tia pursed her lips at me talking about Dalvin.

"You open yours first, bae." I handed her the small box.

Tia grabbed it. "Okay." She shook it near her ear. "Hmmm... It's small so is it K-Ci?" She questioned.

"I thought she was finna say somethin' else." Dalvin laughed some more.

"Aye tell Tia that we know what it ain't in the damn box!" K-Ci hollered out of the phone that I didn't even know Dalvin was on.

"Your dignity." She replied laughing.

"I ain't even know he was on there," I said surprised. "What? I been here- how long you been on the phone." I asked K-Ci.

"For about seven minutes," K-Ci replied to me.

"Damn, I'm lost." I shook my head.

Tia unwrapped the plastic carefully like she didn't want to tear it, but still excited about what she will see in the box. When she finally got it all off it was a relief for me, but then she started folding it up.

"Tia?" I called out.

She turned to me with risen eyebrows. "Hm?"

"What are you doin'?" Me and my mama asked her at the same time.

"It's reusable." She told me.

My mouth dropped. "Babe? Really?" I tilted my head. She can't be serious! "You do this almost every time you get a gift." I shook my head. "And we not bringin' that back on the plane."

"I know." She said opening the box that was under the wrapping paper. Staring down at the box contents confused, she spoke, "It's a picture..."

"Dang, she frugal," Dalvin shook his head. "Never heard of saving use Christmas paper for next year."

"Right." I nodded in a reply to Tia. "And?" I asked her.

"It's a picture of a building." She replied. "I'm confused, but I'll definitely hang it up when we get home. Thanks." She replied and gave me a hug.

"Y'all was made for each other. Both belong on that damn bus." Dalvin shook his head at her.

"We may both belong in that bus." She placed it in the box and grabbed her laptop. "You next."

"Wait," I told her. "Why would I just give you a picture of a building for Christmas?"

"Umm... I don't know..." She trailed off. "You do random things a lot."

"Woah... I think you're thinkin' about yourself, but okay." I nodded and just let her do her thing for the moment.

She called Redd back, but this time with earbuds attached. "Here." She gave me an earbud and I put it in my ear. "Redd?"

"Yeah?" He finally replied.

"Alright, go ahead," Tia spoke to him. "Thanks for doing this by the way. He's ready."

Dalvin stuck his head right beside mine making me push him away as a reflex. "Why you gotta put yo face on my face?" I asked him.

Dalvin hushed me, "Shhh..."

"Fuck outta my ear too," I told him pushing him again. "Hot ass breath. It doesn't stank, but it's damn sure hot."

"Ooh, It just hit me. Let me definitely remove my face from yours. Ion knows what the hell yo ass been doin' with it." Dalvin said moving two inches away from me and still TOO fucking close to my damn face.

"Donald?" Tia called out and I put my attention back on her. "Look at the screen." She ordered laughing. "Always arguin'."

"Holy, shit!" I shouted out loud. "Nahh! For real!?" I said surprised and jumped up.

She shook her head, no. "Mm- mm, nope. It's just a rental that I got you for Christmas break, but we're in France, so... By the looks of it it, YOU WON'T be able to drive it. Sorry." She winced.

Knowing she was bullshitting, I shook my head and lifted her up. "Oh, shit!" I repeated still in somewhat disbelief. "I'm sorry mama," I apologized, "and everybody else. You too, God." I crossed my chest looking up then back to Tia. "A new car? For me?"

"Nah, for her other dude, De," Dalvin said sarcastically.

"It's paid for?" I raised my eyebrows. "Fully?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, Donald. I'm not gon' give you a gift that you gotta pay the rest for. It's all yours." She laughed. "You just gotta sign the papers and stuff and it's official. I know you miss your red one, so I gifted you this one."

"Wow. You really got me a car." I started this time, instead of questioning it.

"Mmhm. You like the color?" She asked me.

"Hel- Yeah, for sure!" I nodded my head, stopping myself from upsetting pops and or course mama.

"Come." Tia laughed pulling me back down to the couch.

I sat back down. "What else is there to see?"

"Put it back in." She said holding up the earbud, nodding towards it.

"A'ight so we just gon' ignore that?" Dalvin asked. "Every time Tia." He laughed.

"The inside," Tia answered my question, rolling her eyes at Dalvin.

"See..." Dalvin trailed off as I put it back in my ear.

"Open the doors for me, please Redd," Tia said speaking to her guard.

"OOHH, that's NICE!" Dalvin said again too fucking close to me!

"THANKS, BABE!" I told her. "Like you really got me somethin' that not only I wanted, but I needed it too. You got it all custom-made and everything. Wow!"

"You got a whole other car De, so technically you didn't..." Derek trailed off.

"You already know what I meant, so stop tryna ruin my moment. Mind ya business." I replied to him laughing. "What I meant is because Cherry is totaled, I ain't have no other sports car."

"You got into an accident?" Pops asked me, walking over here with a few others to be nosy and see what the fuck I got.

"It ain't nothin' serious on my end. Just my car." I replied. "That I'm 'bout to get paid for. Babe, where you had it parked?" I asked turning to Tia. "I ain't see it parked at yo crib and..." I looked at Yasir because she ain't speaking to him so... "Yeah... Where is it?"

"You know what?" Tia smirked, that's a good idea. "Remember what I told you?" She asked me.

"Ummm... You told me a lot of stuff so... No, I don't know exactly what you mean." I chuckled nervously.

Her lips pursed, then her eyes landed on her parents as a hint. Biting my lip, I finally caught onto her hint.

"Yeah, I remember now." I nodded laughing. "You showed me and now that I'm looking at it, I do remember the background. Thank you, babe." I pulled her into a tight hug and kissed her lips, but not on some disrespectful stuff that will have my family looking at me crazy.

Tia pulled away. "Okay. We're ready for the next thing." She cleared her throat. "Mama? Daddy?" Tia stood up and walked over to them. "This next thing is for you both."

"Let me brace myself, but I think it's probably a house." Daryl looked at Tia and then squinted. "She wants us the hell outta her house!" He laughed.

Tia stood behind them and handed the laptop to Daryl. "Yeah, you guessed right." She nodded then quickly realized. "About the first part!" She corrected herself.

And... The second part too. I'm sure of it! I went over to look even though I'd seen it once before. It's hard to find a great area that hasn't been hit after the hurricane. That shit tore the city of Atlanta up. The worst hurricane by far. You would've thought property value went up.

"I was trying for the house y'all were attempting to get, but it was already sold by the time I got to it. But this is a new gated community, so y'all should be fine. It's in Alpharetta."

"She don't want us too far though." Her mother joked then turned around on the couch, on her knee and hugged Tia. "Thank you. It looks nice."

"You're welcome. Y'all's other gifts back home are really just things for the house." She told them. "Alright, thanks, Redd. Merry Christmas. I hope you enjoy your holiday." She said unplugging the earbuds.

"Merry Christmas to you too! Peace!" Redd told her.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" Bird and Daryl replied then hung up.

"A'ight, so you still ain't figure it out?" I asked Tia.

Closing her laptop, Tia replied not looking at me. "Figured what out?"

"That it ain't just a picture." I laughed.

After placing her laptop on the table, she looked up at me. "Donald, if it walks like a duck..." She trailed off. "Then what it is?"

"Property. I know how you said that like you wanna expand your business more, so I purchased a- a couple of floors of that building. Not the WHOLE thing. I told Dalvin to take pictures since he was goin' down there and his slow behind took a picture of the building." I chuckled.

"You need to specify what you meant." Dalvin frowned deeply. "You said to take pictures."

"I gave you the keys for a reason, Dalvin."

"Man, I ain't know."

"Thank you!" She said jumping into my arms luckily I was expecting it because she probably would bust her ass and then get mad at me about it.

I smacked my lips. "It wasn't me who took the picture."

"I guess we all belong on the same bus. Am I right?" Tia chuckled at me whilst me still holding her up.

"Don't include me in y'all's nonsense." I laughed at her. "That's y'all two slow behinds and that spot is in California."

She looked down at the floor to avoid stepping on one of the kids before getting down. "Alright, I think we should open up the other things." She went to sit back down in her seat.

"You should like... Rip it open this time. I know you ain't gonna take this ALL the way back home for the next holiday." I told her. "Are you?" I said unsure.

"I mean..." She said opening the present the same way she did before.

"We ain't broke no more," Yasir told her and nobody said anything, just continued on.

Tia then turned to me. "You not gon' open yours up? Just gon' watch me?"

"I will."

She then ripped her paper open.

"Oh," I said not knowing that's what I grabbed to take with me. It wasn't what I thought it was.

"Oooh, the knife set. I've been looking for these for a long time. I hope they work like they said they do." She laughed. "Got the chrome too. These can cut through anything."

"Oooo, don't do nothin' crazy De or you gon' wake up with one less limb with the way she talkin'." Derek said laughing.

"You the practice that's gon' make it perfect," Dalvin said slapping his knee. "Gon' be that one little piggy that went to the market and never came back."

"A'ight now. Don't get messed up talkin' like that." I told them. "Enough with the jokes or lack thereof because that ain't even funny," I said opening up my gift. "I thought I had brung somethin' else here, but I ain't the best gift giver. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out, but I hope all y'all enjoy what y'all got or whatever. Not just from me, but from Tia too because I was just grabbing stuff from under the tree. I had to."

"That first gift was dope, I need to ask you about the hair kit man," Jojo said over the phone. "You know I ain't gon' grow my hair back."

Dalvin dropped his phone from laughing so hard.

"I know you dreamed of it before," I replied. "You ain't even open up the bag though," I replied.

"You right, but I'm just assuming it's a hair crap in it," Jojo told me.

"Oh- well you open it or whatever. Why y'all up so early?" I asked them both. "It's like two in the mornin' in Charlotte."

"I can wait to open up my gifts," K-Ci spoke up like always.

"Usually kids be the ones stayin' up to do that. Not y'all big overgrown men." Pops said laughing.

My mother looked over at pops. "Overgrown? K-Ci is fun-sized."

"Mrs. D!?" K-Ci couldn't help but laugh. "You can't go callin' a grown man fun-sized."

"And K-Ci, you can't go tellin' a young woman what she can't say." My mama told him.

"Who might that be, Mrs. D?" K-Ci questioned.

Pops burst out laughing and mama gave him THEE look making him stop and clear his throat. "I was coughing." He said calmly.

"Mama, I ain't the only one with a car. I heard you was havin' some problems, so I kept it in Tia's garage, so you wouldn't see." I told her cheesing. "And mama knows this, but I just paid the electric and water bill for the church. Merry Christmas."

Word Count: 6,685

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